Wasteland 2 - where will all the money go?

Heylo,

I'm sure you guys have been following Wasteland 2 and it's fan-based funding. But I have a question about the business end of it.

Normally with copyrighted works we see financial priority given to publishers rather than the creators themselves (http://www.openrightsgroup.org/orgc.../presentations). Maybe this is a good thing, maybe the grinding work of publishing is tougher than actually creating the work, maybe not.

BUT - my question is; how will such remuneration play out for Wasteland 2? Where a publisher would usually have funded such a project in the hope of a return on their investment, the fans have instead. I very much doubt that the fans will get a cut similar to that of a publisher... Will they? Will the price of the finished product simply go down substantially, with all profits going straight to the makers?

What I find most interesting is the shift in dynamic of the business model itself, Wasteland 2 seems to have totally shifted the middle man out of the picture, allowing for a simple two platform transaction; the fans want this game to be made, the makers will make it, it's all very Occupy Movement and exciting if you ask me!

Can anyone offer any insight? Sources and opinions would be extra awesome too!

Jim


DISCLAIMER - if the above illustrates a terrible understanding of the relationship between fans/creators/publishers, feel free to be condescending and correct me!

Ummm, pretty sure you mean something else. Unless I'm completely missing something here, but Resistance 2 was made years ago. Wasteland 2? Maybe?

You're absolutely right - edited. Sorry about that, had a brain-fart. Thanks!

You're absolutely right - edited. Sorry about that, had a brain-fart. Thanks!

JimSaxton

Happens to the best of us :P

As to your original question, I think we'll just have to wait and see. I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that the Double Fine Adventure is really what created these games through Kickstarter craze. Since that game isn't out yet, it's hard to speculate on costs. Perhaps people that helped fund the project will have some sort of discount?

Perhaps people that helped fund the project will have some sort of discount?

IndianaPwns39

From what I know of the Double Fine game, if you made a donation of $15 or more then you get the game for free when its released. I'm not sure about Wasteland 2 though.

Once the game is released they (the devs) get the money. They could spend it on the next game to make it better, more salary's and so on. Yes you get the game if they are able to complete the project and if its within your reward tier.

Some kickstarter devs have also pledged a certian percent of their profit back to Kickstarter in order to fund other project. I guess the devs themselves decide which projects to support, though they might ask their fan base for advice.

afaik, instantly to the developers. How they manage them is all up to them..Also, pledger around 10 - 20$ will get the game via direct download, otherwise you pay full price for the game when it's released..since pledgers has to take a gamble that their money will fund a game of their liking, and hoping it even succeeds. If the project fails to deliver, project starters will have to refund pledgers. It more of replacing the middleman with a legion of investors with no chains attached, whose investment pale in comparison to publishers. The 3 million double fine got was a overwhelming, unsespected success, but that was how much pubs invest in making a game like grim fandago..KS will definitely breath more life into indie games which needs small funding, but i can't see it going futher than that .

If you pledged at least $15 to the game, you will get a copy of the game at release will no additional fee required - otherwise, the game will probably be at least double that when it releases on other digital download services. If you chose to donate even more than that, there are different rewards at each tier for how much you've given - the more you've given, the more rewards you get for donating.

The reason most people donate, I think, it because there are so few turn-based tactical RPGs out there nowdays (it's pretty much the definition of a "dead genre"), and the original Wasteland was popular as well. By helping fund the Kickstarter it ensures that someone will make such a game. Brian Fargo also has a very solid developing background, and I have no doubt he and his team will deliver.